Antonio Conte claims his players have had to “suffer” to win the title this season.

Chelsea can clinch the Premier League crown at West Brom on Friday night, keeping them on course for the Double when they face Arsenal in the FA Cup final in two weeks' time.

But Conte admits that it has been a tough road to glory, and that starting the season with three straight wins did not fool him into thinking that the wounds and divisions from last year had been healed.

After that quick start, they suffered back-to-back defeats at home to Liverpool and away against Arsenal , and it was only following the tactical changes Conte made in the aftermath of those results that they began to really make progress.

Starting out with wins over West Ham (above), Watford and Burnley did not fool Conte (Image: Getty)

He said: “It's impossible to win without suffering. When you work very hard, it's normal to suffer. I've never seen a player who, during hard work, doesn't suffer.

“I think that when you suffer, you become stronger and then you are ready to face every situation — above all, problematic situations during games.

“We started this season with three wins, but honestly... I wasn't calm. I didn't see what I was wanting to see.

“But after a bad defeat against Arsenal... after that defeat I understood we had to change something in the tactical aspect and find the right solution, also to improve our work, our tactical work.

It needed a worldie from Jordan Henderson to do it... (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

...but Liverpool won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on September 16 (Image: Getty)

“Then I saw my team improving game by game and increasing confidence, increasing confidence in the work. In what we were doing. If you ask me a proper moment (when I knew we’d win the title), I don't see one. I don't see a moment.

“I saw my team improving, increasing game by game and step by step. For sure, when you play against City and win the way we did, the confidence improved.

“When you play and win against United at home the way we did, or when we drew against Liverpool and missed a penalty 10 minutes from the end... yes, the confidence improved a lot.

“These are moments that you understand you can fight for the title, but to win it or not? Until the end we have to fight to win this title.

Diego Costa and Chelsea fans reacted largely the same way on September 24... (Image: Getty)

“Now there is a good opportunity because Tottenham's defeat [at West Ham last Friday, when a win would have cut the Chelsea lead to one point] was, for us, a good opportunity to take three points and try to win the title before the end of the season.

"Now we have to take three points because, otherwise, we'll have to fight until the end.”

The game-changer for Conte was that Arsenal defeat in September.

They were thumped 3-0 — if you remember, that was the half-time score — at the Emirates, and their ex-Juventus and Italy boss responded by reverting to his natural inclination to play a back three.

New formation, new Chelsea — Willian's goal at Hull began their 13-match winning run (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

The new formation was in place a week later for a victory at Hull which began the 13-game Premier League winning run that put Chelsea in pole position to succeed Leicester as champions.

Conte admits there has been a slice of “luck” with injuries, while not being in Europe this season has also helped keep players fresh and allowed plenty of time for work on the training pitch.

He said: “I think this season we are very good, and also we are also a bit lucky to have the possibility to avoid a lot of injuries.

"This season we worked very hard. But we are also very good... and we are also very lucky."